Emergency monowall tube repair kit

ABSTRACT

A quick temporary repair for a ruptured tube which is one of a number of parallel tubes making up a boiler furnace wall. The rupture is enlarged to form an opening large enough to accept a pipe having at each end a gasket, which may be compressed axially and consequently to expand radially to engage the sidewalls of the tube so that the water or steam will pass through the pipe rather than pass out of the rupture.

I United States Patent 1151 3,643,701

Wadiak et a1. Feb. 22, 1972 [54] EMERGENCY MONOWALL TUBE [56] References Cited REPAIR KIT UNITED STATES PATENTS figs: ma f 2,731,041 1/1956 Mueller et al ..13s/97 pp 3,183,939 5/1965 Immel ..133/97 [73] Assignee: Foster Wheeler Corporation, Livingston,

NJ. Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner [22] Fned: Sept. 14 1970 isdrtlorney-John Ma1er,lll, Marvin A. Naigur and John E. W1l- [21] Appl. No.: 71,955

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. CL. ..l38/97, 29/401, l65/76, A quick temporary repair for a ruptured tube which is one of 11 285/15 number of parallel tubes making up a boiler furnace wall. The [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6l 55/16 rupture is enlarged to form an Opening large enough to accept [58] Field of Search 1 38/97; 165/76; 285/ 15, 370; a pip h ving a e h en a gaske which may be compressed axially and consequently to expand radially to engage the sidewalls of the tube so that the water or steam will pass through the pipe rather than pass out of the rupture.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDFEB22 I972 3,643 .701

L f INVENTORS GE GE T. HIGHAM' MI AEL WADIAK EMERGENCY MONOWALL TUBE REPAIR KIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the recent developments in boiler manufacture has been the elimination of the outer wall of fire brick surrounding the firebox. Instead the furnace wall is made up of parallel tubes, each of which is joined to the adjacent tube by a fin extending between them. This construction provides for an efficient operation and is less expensive than the one where refractory is placed outside the cooling tubes.

One problem which has been encountered in this type of construction is that one of the cooling tubes making up the outer wall may rupture so as to expel steam or hot water outside the furnace. When this happens, the boiler must often be shut down immediately for reasons of safety. This is especially problematic in marine boilers because it is desirable that the boiler be kept in operation at least until the ship can reach port where permanent repairs can be made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to overcome drawbacks in the prior art, such as those discussed above. Accordingly, a tube which has ruptured so that it is expelling steam or water is cut so that the rupture is enlarged into an opening large enough to permit the insertion of a pipe within the tube, having at each of its ends a gasket which may be compressed axially so that it expands radially to engage against the outside surface of the pipe and the inside surface of the tube and prevent escape of steam or water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a front fragmentary view showing a furnace wall provided with a window to permit insertion of the present device.

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section, taken along the line 22 of FIG. I, and

FIG. 3 is a side view partly in section in an enlarged scale showing a boiler tube while being repaired in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In FIG. 1, a portion ofa furnace wall made up of parallel tubes l2, l4, 16, I8 and are joined by fins 22, 24, 26 and 28. The tube 16 has been provided with a window 30 which has been cut in that tube to enlarge a rupture in the tube wall.

In FIG. 3, a pipe section 32 has been placed in the tube 16 so that one end 34 projects upwardly beyond the window and the other end 36 projects below it. This may be accomplished by passing one of the ends, 34 for example, upwardly beyond the top of the window 30 until the lower end 36 is above the bottom of the window and then lowering the pipe 32 to the position shown in FIG. 3.

Adjacent to the end 34 is a threaded section 38 and adjacent to the end 36 is a threaded section 40. An end ring 42 is threaded on the section 38 while an end ring 44 is threaded on the section 40. The end rings 42 are positioned on the pipe before it is placed as shown in FIG. 3, Also placed on the pipe 32 before it is placed in the tube are two collars 46 and 48, the collar 46 being threaded on the section 38 adjacent to the ring 42 and the collar 48 being threaded on the section 42 adjacent to the ring 44. Between the collar 46 and the ring 42 is an annular deformable gasket 50, and between the collar 48 and ring 44 is a similar gasket 52.

After the pipe 32 has been placed as shown in FIG. 3, the collars 46 and 48 may be turned to compress their cooperating gaskets 50 and 52 against the rings 42 and 44 respectively. Compressing the gaskets axially expands them radially to engage tightly between the inside wall 16 and the outside surface of the pipe 32. In FIG. 3, the collar 46 has been turned sufficiently to so compress the gasket 50. The collar 48 has not been turned, so that there is some space between the gasket 52 and the ring 44. When the collar 48 has been turned sufficiently to compress the gasket 52, the tube 16 will have been completely repaired and will operate until a permanent repair can be made.

The collars 46 and 48 are shown with a number of holes 54 which project inwardly far enough to allow a rod to be inserted and used to turn the collars about the pipe 32 sufficiently to compress the gaskets 50 and 52. Of course, other means can be provided on the collars'46 and 48 to facilitate turning them sufficiently to compress the gaskets 50 and 52 to the point where a hermetic seal is provided between the pipe 32 and the tube 16.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of sealing a tube ruptured at the sidewall comprising the steps of enlarging the rupture into an opening large enough to perform the following steps:

placing in said opening one end of a pipe which has adjacent to each end a collar encircling and threadedly engaged to said pipe, a ring encircling said pipe closer to said end than said collar, and an annular deformable gasket encircling said pipe between said collar and said ring,

placing one end of said pipe in said opening,

moving said pipe axially in one direction until said one end is beyond said opening and the other end can be moved into said opening,

moving said other end into said opening,

moving said pipe axially in the opposite direction until said gaskets are on either end of said opening with said collars accessible through said opening,

rotating said collars to compress said gaskets against said rings to cause said gaskets to expand radially and engage tightly the outside surface of said pipe and the inside surface of said tube.

2. The method defined in claim 5 wherein said collar is rotated by inserting an instrument in a recession in said collar and rotating said instrument about the longitudinal axis of said pipe. 

1. The method of sealing a tube ruptured at the sidewall comprising the steps of enlarging the rupture into an opening large enough to perform the following steps: placing in said opening one end of a pipe which has adjacent to each end a collar encircling and threadedly engaged to said pipe, a ring encircling said pipe closer to said end than said collar, and an annular deformable gasket encircling said pipe between said collar and said ring, placing one end of said pipe in said opening, moving said pipe axially in one direction until said one end is beyond said opening and the other end can be moved into said opening, moving said other end into said opening, moving said pipe axially in the opposite direction until said gaskets are on either end of said opening with said collars accessible through said opening, rotating said collars to compress said gaskets against said rings to cause said gaskets to expand radially and engage tightly the outside surface of said pipe and the inside surface of said tube.
 2. The method defined in claim 5 wherein said collar is rotated by inserting an instrument in a recession in said collar and rotating said instrument about the longitudinal axis of said pipe. 